5 Things You Need to Know About the Alkaline Diet

A-list celebs continue to endorse the alkaline diet, the pH-based eating plan that includes both basic foods (like broccoli) and acidic ones (like lemons) that promote "alkalinity" in your body.

Despite its health halo, pH eating is scientifically not a thing. Here's what you need to know about this beloved gimmick.

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Food can't change your blood's pH.

Healthy adults have a slightly-alkaline pH of 7.4, given that 7 is "neutral" on the pH scale of 1 to 14. But unless your kidneys or lungs are impaired, the acid-base balance of your body doesn't actually change at all. So where did this perception come from? Foods can temporarily impact cellular mineral content, which determines the "acidity" in and around your cells.

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Alkaline foods are redundant.

Just like cleanses that claim to "rest your liver," alkaline diets purportedly give your kidneys a vacation. However, healthy kidneys already act as your body's filtration system. They help excrete the compounds you don't need and retain the ones you do, thus regulating your pH. When something is truly impairing their ability to "clean" the bloodstream, it's often a chronic condition like uncontrolled diabetes or hypertension, which can both lead to kidney failure.

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Don't be fooled by alkaline waters.

Alkaline water with a pH of 9.5 or higher may taste good, but an influx of basic electrolytes can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. It may also react adversely with certain medications, so consult a physician if you're drinking it regularly.

It can keep you healthy — but not because of pH.

Alkaline diets touting their anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer benefits may be onto something. Eating plans high in magnesium, potassium and calcium are linked to reduced risk of chronic disease. But these foods are also filled with vitamins, antioxidants, fiber and polyunsaturated fats, so it's pretty safe to say that the pH of a food isn't what makes it nutritious.

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Weight loss isn't a guarantee.

Here's the upside: Alkaline diets include mostly plant-based food like veggies, fruit, beans, nuts, and seeds and some grains while restricting high-fat animal protein and processed foods. Those are diet tenants that R.D.s like me can get behind.But for the long haul, intense restrictions of any kind typically lead to an eventual binge, negating those beneficial effects!

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The Bottom Line

If following a pH diet plan helps you eat more produce, then I'm 100% on board! Plant foods are great sources of minerals, B vitamins, antioxidants and protein, which can improve overall health and wellbeing.

But be ultra-critical of any magic bullet for weight loss, especially ones that eliminate specific food groups. Remember: No single food or meal can make or break your health, or move the number on the scale!